MindTrap
Chapter 6: Legacy
Who am I?
It's all changing... all shifting...
Memories dying as I watch...
Help me! Someone... someone, tell me who I am...
I'm calling for you...
Someone, anyone...
One last message...
Before...
I am no longer myself...
-
"'Lena... you're not still going on, are you?..."
"It's a bit hard not to. He's your brother, isn't he? Close enough, at least.
But you don't seem to give a..."
"That's not fair!" Malon sighed, and looked into her friend's eyes. "Look.
I've lost him three times. It's just as hard for me..."
Alena shook her head. "Okay. Maybe that was a bit harsh. It's just... This
is going to sound stupid, but I've... been dreaming about him."
"That's not stupid. You miss him. It's only fair."
"No. These weren't those sorts of dreams..."
"What other sort are there?"
She looked aside. "I don't know. But... they're trying to tell me something.
And it's not good, whatever it is." Slowly, she sighed. "Heh. Perhaps I need
to get away. It's strange. I never realised it when Link was here, but...
I miss Termina. It's taken me so long, but I'm... I'm getting homesick. And
I know... I can't go back... but..." Trying to appear calm, she wiped an
eye. "No use crying, right? But I just wish I could know once, how my father
is, how my family are... We didn't part on the best of terms."
"I know."
"I never thought I'd get so sentimental."
Malon paused. "It's okay. Here." She put a friendly arm around Alena's shoulders.
"Tell you what - one day soon, when things are quiet here, I'll take you
for a ride down Lake Hylia way. Never seen it, have you?" A reply was in
the negative. "It's a lovely spot. I remember once, I took... now you've
got me started, too. C'mon," Malon laughed, giving Alena an affectionate
hug. "So. What were these dreams like?"
"I said... it's hard to explain. But it's kind of like Link's trying to say
something to me in them, but he's talking in riddles. The sorts of things
I used to read in my father's old books, like old prophecies. Can't remember
them at the moment, it's all so hazy. Oh - perhaps I should just forget
it."
"Don't forget it, 'Lene. Just relax."
"I'll... I'll try," she replied, a little uneasily.
"Great."
As they walked downstairs, the door of the ranch house creaked open. Malon
glanced over. "Must be Cam." Looking towards the doorway, she saw the unusual
indigo hair of the ranch hand as he walked in, seemingly relaxed. They could
both guess why. Having been a guard at the castle under Oni's rule, he had
been able to feel at ease only after Link's departure from the ranch. And
without the threat the Fierce Deity had posed to his life, he had finally
gone back to his old job. Malon looked at him. "Did you get it?"
"Oh - the job? Yeah. They're letting me go back. I can start again tomorrow,
even, if you're okay with..."
Talon, waiting downstairs by the fire, smiled weakly. "It's your choice.
I'll miss having you around. Guess I'm just going to have to put up a job
application. With you gone, and Link's left home again..."
Malon and Alena exchanged looks. It had taken a while for the old rancher
to accept that the Link who had arrived out of nowhere was, in fact, the
son he had lost - and even longer for him to stop using the name 'Kaelon'.
It had only been fortunate that the day of Link's departure as Guardian of
Time had also been a day that he was away on business. No-one there had let
on anything else than that he had left - Talon was unaware that his adopted
son was gone forever. He was not even aware that Link had ever been the same
person as the Lord Oni'kara he had seen in passing while in town - and it
was, everyone else had decided, better that way.
"...I'm gonna miss you too." Cam grinned, and patted the old man on the back.
Not that Talon was, indeed, so old - but it seemed like it, sometimes. "Anything
for dinner?"
-
As they ate, the conversation continued. Eventually, Talon got up and walked
away to check on the horses. Epona had been acting strangely.
"I think... I think she misses her old master," Malon commented.
"Yeah, but it's not like he's coming back," Alena replied, sadly.
"Link's not," Cam muttered under his breath. "Oni might. Then... guess who
the first one in the firing line is?"
Alena shot him an angry look. "Don't say that! Oni or Link, he wouldn't..."
"I don't know. That's where I'm different from you girls. You could see him
the night he left, ready and armed and all - but you just saw your old friend
there. But as for me...
I remember one day, a coupla weeks before he went away. You were busy, Malon,
so we'd gone to take a delivery into town. Right? I can still see it. He
was as edgy as anything. He kept fiddling at that weird pendant he used to
wear - you know the one, 'Lena - like it was a jinx or something. I say to
him, 'take it off', but he's all 'I can't'. He won't explain anything to
me. Never would." Cam sighed. "Next thing, we're in town. So - we get to
work. I'm passing him a crate off the back of the cart, then - he just vanishes.
Into thin air. I mean it." Alena gave him a surprised look, and nodded. "So,
he's gone about - I'd say, a minute or so. Not long, anyway, but I was confused
as anything. Then, he just reappears, looking a bit frazzled and holding
that bit of jewellery in his hands. And frankly, if he was nervy - it got
me a bit jumpy, too.
Anyway. Then, I see his eyes. And... I'm reminded of the last time I saw
him, saw - " he made a face, recalling - "Oni, when he tried to get me...
Now, he's all surprised. Embarrassed a bit, too. He put that thing back round
his neck as if he's trying to hide the truth, 'cause his eyes go back to
what I'd have called normal as soon as he does. But it was no use. Couldn't
fool me. I knew the truth then. I didn't want to tell you and spoil your
illusions, but when he was here he was tricking you. He had us all fooled
into believing he was something he was not. In the end, I kind of got to
accept it. Okay, I'll admit he was a strange kind of good company. I tried
to - I tried to see it as, he must have reformed, 'cause he was trying to
pretend he wasn't anyone like who he was. But in the end, it meant he was
deceiving us, and I couldn't forget that. I should've told you sooner, before
he went."
Alena and Malon looked at each other, before the first spoke. "No. I knew
it all along."
"What?!" Cam snapped. "You were keeping secrets, too?"
"You sounded just like my father, then... but, yes. I was. That pendant was
mine - I gave it him when he went up to the castle the day after we arrived
here... because I knew he was going to need it."
He shook his head. "Aw, great. Just - great." Suddenly, he began to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"It was just something I heard back then. One of the guys on the gate had
a word with me while Link was away. One of these other worlds, was it?" Alena
nodded. "Didn't remember me, but he remembered the old boss okay. Wondered
where he'd gone. I dunno... I didn't have the heart to say that he was unloading
the milk crates." He sighed. "Looks like this is goodbye..."
"Of course. See you." Surprised at herself, Malon went over and gave Cam
a hug. "It'll be weird without you here now."
"Well, at least I'll be around in this world." He caught a look in Alena's
eye. "Aw, 'Lene, I was just kidding you."
-
The castle was silent. Apart from watching guards on the night shift, the
young queen was alone as she walked out into the courtyard. Almost unregarded,
she sat down, and in a fashion hardly becoming of royalty lay back and watched
the stars.
At least she had the chance now. Two years had gone by, but it was doing
nothing to diminish her memories of her virtual captivity. She had been the
queen in name only for so long - it had been strange when the time had come
to rule in her own right. As she gazed, one constellation in the south caught
her eye. The Hunter, the astrologers called it, standing battle ready with
a sword of stars raised over his head.
Somehow, it looked all too much like - him. Her mind filled in the details
that the star-patterns hinted at.
Almost inaudibly, she whispered. Two names, for the one person. "Oni..."
she murmured. "Link... what are you doing now?..." Thoughts clashing, she
caught tears rolling down her face.
Only one spectator saw it. It had been two years since he had lived and worked
at the castle - and protocol was one of the first things he had forgotten.
In any case, he had technically been under the employ of Oni rather than
Zelda.
"Your highness?" Cam asked, walking over. Zelda looked over in surprise.
"What's wrong?"
She blinked, not used to being approached like this. "Oh - it's... it's
nothing."
"I heard it. It wasn't nothing. But... I can promise you one thing. I knew
him, too. Knew Link..."
"What? When?"
"He was living on Lon Lon ranch the last few months. Where I was working.
And I can tell you this, ma'am. He's gone for good now. He's left Hyrule."
Zelda shook her head. "I... I don't know what to think of your news. I've
only seen him once... since the Gerudo wars, two years ago. But if he's gone...
I thought, when I saw him then, he'd gone back to being the boy I knew as
a child..."
Cam sighed. "That's... that's the problem, ma'am. He's the old Oni again.
I heard that he's not gone back to his old ways - he's on our side... but
I don't think I'd quite trust him any more."
"No..." the queen whispered to the guard. "If he ever returns here... I won't
stand for it again. Anyone sees him, anyone at all... I need to know. I've
got to get away. Spread the word."
He nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I will do." Silent, knowing when his intrusion wasn't
wanted, Cam walked away back to his post.
Zelda glanced over her shoulder, occupied with the news - both good and bad,
she thought. One thing was certain. She would never go back to the way things
were.
It could have been worse, she thought, those years... he wasn't
Ganon, he wasn't exactly cruel...
No, only cold, heartless, ruthless...
Hyrule's had worse rulers...
Who? He would have killed you, if you'd stepped out of line...
He had cause to, by his standards... but didn't. Doesn't that mean
anything?
Anyway... he's gone...
She sighed, and settled back to watch the stars. As she rested back onto
the ground, her hand gave her a sharp flicker of pain. What was that about?
she wondered, looking at it. Wait... that's... the other timeline...
the one thing I remember, I was... that's...
-
While Zelda watched the night sky, her parallel slept on.
...She walked across the clock-tower platform. He was there. Waiting
patiently, his hands resting lightly on his sword. His painted face was only
the face of the man she loved, and his shining eyes held no fear.
"You never forgot me."
"I can't forget you, Link! You're... you're part of me..."
"I am not. But my greatest treasure is. Take care of it for me, sister of
courage, for it is no longer mine to hold... One last gift from who you
know..."
"What... why are you talking like this! Less of the riddles!"
He just smiled. "You'll see easily enough what I mean. Be patient, love..."
With that, a faint blue haze enveloped his form, and he disappeared from
view. She rushed forwards, but it was too late...
Alena bolted upright in bed. The same dreams again? "You never talked like
that when... you were here..." she whispered, and wiped a stray tear from
her azure eyes. Knowing why he had had to leave didn't make it any easier
to accept it.
She doubted she'd be able to get back to sleep, as the first light of the
sun crept in through the windows. Silently, she rolled out of bed and looked
out, standing in the same spot she had become accustomed to watching the
world through.
Sighing, she took her gaze away from the crimson-stained sky and looked idly
at the hands that rested on the windowsill.
She nearly yelled out in surprise, as one beam of light highlighted something
she had never seen before. Shocked, Alena squinted at the back of her right
hand. Something was there. It was only faintly visible, but as she looked,
it seemed to be developing like a pictograph print.
A dark golden pattern across the skin. Three interlocked triangles.
Mouth wide open in shock, she waved her hand up and down, and rubbed at the
strange mark in an attempt to get it to go away. But it wasn't going to go
that easily.
Slowly, it dawned on her what had happened.
Impossible, but it was happening all the same.
Your greatest treasure, Link... it was...
Courage? Me?
-
The afternoon arrived slowly, it seemed to Alena. She trusted Malon enough
to talk about what was happening. There was no one else, however.
As she pulled Shara's tack into place, she looked across at her friend.
"Malon?" she called. "Can you tell me this?"
"What is it?"
"I know you know about the Triforce, and all that. He told us both. But...
do you think someone would have to... die before they passed on a piece..."
The red-haired woman walked over, a puzzled expression on her face. "Why?
What's up, 'Lena? What got you thinking about..."
"This did." Silently now, she stretched her hand out. "Looks familiar, doesn't
it?..."
For a moment, Malon was speechless. "It can't be that. Can't be. He's...
he's immortal, right?"
"Doesn't mean he couldn't have been killed," Alena half-whispered. "Could
have been a way, somehow... and if something could destroy Link... what chance
would ordinary people have?"
"No," Malon replied, trying to see a way out. "It's happened before. Two
years ago, the Triforce passed to a new bearer, and the old was still
alive..."
"But that was still Link, wasn't it?"
"The point still holds. I'm sure he's going to be fine." She sighed. "I'm
sure."
Quietly, they continued to tack up the horses. But somehow, the prospect of a ride in the sunshine no longer held so much appeal.